Congratulations to Alex Renew’s nutrient management facility (NMF) for receiving the Envision Platinum Award for sustainability. The NMF, an 18 MG treatment facility topped with a public athletic field, is only one of 11 facilities in North America to achieve this distinction.

“This award shows that wastewater utilities don’t have to be invisible to the communities they serve, but instead, can, and should, be active partners in creating livable and resilient cities,” said Karen Pallansch, Alex Renew CEO. “We’re fortunate to serve customers and work alongside community partners who value sustainability and support efforts like this that have such a positive impact on our local waterways.”

The facility’s dual-purpose nature, improving the health of local waterways while adding community green space, was key in achieving Platinum certification. Other sustainability efforts included using local and recycled materials, recycling construction waste, restoring a former landfill, and using energy and water monitoring systems.

The NMF is the largest project under Alex Renew’s $160M State-of-the-Art Nutrient Upgrade Program (SANUP), the utility’s response to regulations limiting the amount of nutrients water resource recovery facilities can release into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Dutchland, Inc. designed, manufactured, and constructed the 18 MG precast concrete tank that enables Alex Renew to process 13 billion gallons of wastewater each year.